HARDING UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
Looking Back, Looking Forward Jeff Mercer, Pharm.D. Dean
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’ve heard it said that time seems to pass more quickly the older you get. Well, that’s certainly true for me these days. This past December marked my thirteenth year as a member of the Harding University College of Pharmacy (HUCOP). I can hardly believe it, but I can truly say that my time at HUCOP has been the pleasure of my professional life.
I’m thankful to be part of a college that is rooted in mission and community. I’m grateful for faculty and staff that come to work every day with a focus toward student-centered teaching.
At the beginning of each new year, I take some time to reflect on the successes and opportunities of the past. This year seemed especially meaningful, and I want to express my appreciation to all who have been a part of Harding’s place in the world of pharmacy education. I’m thankful to be part of a college that is rooted in mission and community. I’m grateful for faculty and staff that come to work every day with a focus toward student-centered teaching. God has richly blessed us over these many years with a highly qualified faculty, capable students, and a bevy of preceptors, alumni, and friends that support our program in so many ways. With each new year also comes the opportunity to look forward and set goals and objectives for where we are going. Our new HUCOP Strategic Plan began in 2019. Now a full year into that 5-year plan, we are already seeing the fruit of our work, especially in regard to student development and readiness for graduation and practice. This year, we are implementing a number of curricular enhancements designed to increase student readiness for graduation. The most substantial changes involve our experiential curriculum, where we have expanded the breadth and depth of our introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE and APPEs) to further complement classroom learning. Students are tasked in both operational and clinical aspects of community, institutional, and ambulatory care settings necessary for today’s advancing roles of contemporary pharmacy practice. Beginning Summer 2020, the fourth-year curriculum will expand to include an additional APPE requirement, bringing
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the number of APPEs required from 9 to 10 per student. In total, today’s students will spend upwards of 1900 hours in experiential and co-curricular learning settings outside of the classroom. Other curricular plans are intended to address our students’ preparedness to enter the workforce. Beginning this summer, fourth-year students will enroll in a new 3-part course series entitled “Professional and Career Development.” These courses will run longitudinally alongside the APPE curriculum. Students will benefit from board exam preparation assessments, interpersonal development exercises, professional portfolio requirements, and various other professional and career development activities. This course series will directly engage students in career planning and goal setting as graduation approaches.
This year, we are implementing a number of curricular enhancements designed to increase student readiness for graduation.
These are among the more immediate enhancements that are occurring with our program at Harding, but they represent only a small portion of our overall plans for the future. On the horizon, new degree pathways and focused educational tracks will offer students more opportunities to diversify and personalize their pharmacy education. It’s all very exciting and promises to make 2020 a signature year for us. As I mentioned at the outset, the occasion of a new year brings about a time of reflection and planning for the future. Harding has been blessed with an established place in pharmacy education that allows us to serve our students and the profession of pharmacy. Knowing that has helped shape our new strategic plan in preparation for the future. A new decade is upon us, and perhaps it’s telling of my age, but my fourteenth year at Harding sure feels a lot like the first. I’m excited for what’s to come and wish you and your family a Happy New Year. § Editorial Note: This article was written before the coronavirus pandemic and some information may have changed.
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THE ARKANSAS PHARMACIST
3/27/20 12:43 PM
